


Working Out the Kinks

by FuzzyBrains



Category: Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: /M Tickling, All the other characters at least make a cameo or are mentioned, Consensual Kink, Consensual tickling, Established friendships, Flirting, Fluff, Multi, New Relationship, Other, Reader is a 'ler, SO WHOO, Starts out innocuous enough, Tickling, and then you go oh no this is a kink isn't it, but the main focus is on you and Bumblebee, otherwise this would be a much longer fic, reader has no gender, you're pals with everyone already
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-07-27 21:46:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20053021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FuzzyBrains/pseuds/FuzzyBrains
Summary: “It’s not a big deal, Prowl,” you said, rolling your eyes. “It’s just a game we play when he’s being a brat.”Prowl hummed. “Then tell me. Just how frequent has this ‘game’ of yours become?”“It’s only been three times so far this we-” You stopped.Prowl’s lips quirked. “And it’s Wednesday.”





	1. The Game We Play

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write a cute, simple tickle fic and then Reader and Bumblebee decided to have Feelings (tm) and Hangups (tm). Nothing explicit happens until part 3, so if you just want Feelings and Cute, you can stick to Parts 1 and 2.

“Faster!” Sari shrieked. “Go faster!”

You watched from the relative safety of the giant, concrete sofa as Sari urged your mutual friend on. The young girl was clinging tightly to Bumblebee’s neck as he wheeled by, in his main mode, doing laps around the main area of the plant. You had your knees up to your chest and huddled against the back of the sofa, a smirk on your face as you kept an eye on them and the time.

Perhaps a more responsible adult would be telling Bumblebee to be more careful. After all, so many things could go wrong with a giant alien robot more than double your height racing around on a concrete floor with a tiny, very squishy human girl holding on to him. 

But you knew that Bumblebee would never let any harm come to her. For every lap he took, you could see him glancing adoringly at his little friend, not only to share in her enjoyment, but to make sure she was still holding on.

It was little things like that which endeared you to him.

That, and what an absolute dork he was.

“One hundred!” he cried out, skidding to a stop in front of you.

You hit ‘stop’ on your stopwatch app. Then, for dramatic effect, you raised your eyebrows at the time, letting out a low whistle.

“Well?” Sari demanded, leaning forward to stare at you eagerly.

“Yeah! Well?” Bumblebee echoed, putting his hands on his hips.

“Hmm… I don’t know, guys. You only…” You turned your phone so they could see, allowing yourself to grin. “Shaved off ten seconds on your previous best!”

Both of them whooped. Bumblebee held up his servo, open-handed, so Sari could give him a high-five. 

After she did, she tugged on him. “Let’s go one more time! I bet you can beat that!” she said.

You, meanwhile, had turned your phone screen back to peer at it yourself. Your smile faded. “You can go ahead, but I need to get going,” you said, somewhat reluctantly. Tucking your phone into your pocket, you started to stand up.

“Aww, c’mon, really?” Bumblebee complained. “You just got here!”

You fought down another smile. “It’s been ten hours, Bumblebee.”

“Hey, you try living for a few vorns, see how long an hour feels to you,” he scoffed. Then, his expression fell. “Seriously, do you have to go already?”

You nodded. “I’ve had a ton of fun today, but I’m honestly starting to feel wiped,” you admitted. “Although I can’t believe we beat that whole game in just one sitting.”

“Yeah, that was pretty awesome,” he agreed. He tilted his head. “Can you come by tomorrow?”

“I dunno, but I can call Sari and let you guys know for sure tomorrow afternoon?”

That didn’t seem to be the right answer, as Bumblebee let out what sounded like an annoyed huff. “What are we supposed to do if you don’t come by?”

“You’ll survive,” you said, grinning at him. You then glanced around yourself, taking stock of the room.

The other Autobots had popped in to say hello throughout the day. Optimus had gone out, saying something about patrol. Ratchet, of course, was in medbay, and had given the impression he would throw a wrench at the first person who interrupted whatever he was doing in there. Bulkhead was, as far as you knew, in his room, working on something. Prowl similarly was in his room… or out somewhere in nature, having snuck out through the giant hole in his ceiling.

You could never get a read on that guy.

Which meant you’d spent the bulk of the day hanging out with ‘Bee and Sari. Which had been pretty darn ideal, as far as you were concerned. Not only did Bumblebee have the best ideas for what to do on a day off, but he was excited about everything he suggested.

And, you liked to think, excited about doing those activities with you.

Though that could just be the crush talking.

It wasn’t something you saw yourself bringing up. Sari had already told you about how the ‘bots had considered leaving Earth at least twice already (that she knew of). The fact that the Autobots could live for far longer than you could imagine also put a damper on a possible relationship. So, you contented yourself as best you could with a close friendship with Bumblebee.

_ Got to enjoy this while it lasts. _

“Houston to space case, you there?” you heard someone say, and blinked.

Bumblebee was leaning down to peer at you.

Feeling your face get hot, you offered a sheepish smile. “Sorry! I guess I’m more worn out than I thought.” 

His expression softened some. “Jeez. You wanna nap before you go, then? I mean, if you’re that tired.”

Sari took the opportunity to clamber off of Bumblebee’s shoulder, easing down to lean against one of his legs. You flashed her a grin, then shook your head at his offer. “No, I should really get going.” You scanned the room once more, then realized what was missing. “Where’s my bag?”

Bumblebee froze.

Then, his voice took on an artfully innocent tone. “What bag? Did you come with a bag?”

You shot him an unimpressed look. “Yes, genius. The bag I always come with. The one that had my and Sari’s lunches and snacks in it up until recently. Where is it? I wanna take that stuff home and wash it out.”

Bumblebee slowly shrugged, straightening back up. “I dunno what to tell you. Maybe you left it in someone’s room?”

You knew that look on his face, and the way he was talking. You’d done this dance before. “Bumblebee. Where is it.”

Sari, sensing what was about to happen, let out a snicker and scampered away from Bumblebee toward the sofa. Bumblebee, meanwhile, held up his hands as though in mock defense, smirking down at you.

“Hey, no need to get all bent outta shape! Why do you think _ I _would know?”

You quirked a brow at him. “‘Bee, do you _ really _want to go through this? You remember what happened the last time you hid my bag away, right?”

He shuddered. “Uhhh yeah, we, uh, don’t need to go to those extreme measures,” he said, and you were amused that a hint of static had entered his voice.

“Okay, so tell you what.” You hopped off the sofa and approached him. Despite him towering over you, it felt almost the opposite as his grin turned nervous the closer you got. “You’ve got five seconds to tell me before I use those _ extreme measures _.”

He hesitated, glancing between you and Sari, who was by now safely on the couch and watching all of this with a knowing smirk on her face. Bumblebee then shrugged at you. “Can’t help you, so-_ ah _!”

Something had told you he wasn’t going to be helpful, so you’d walked right up and prodded right around the protective armor that covered the Autobot equivalent of his knee. Given your height differences, it was the most effective spot to go for, and he reacted perfectly; by yelping and stumbling back away from you, letting out a nervous chuckle once he was out of arms’ reach.

“C’mon, can’t we talk about this?” he asked, as you approached him again. He was holding out his servos in appeal, but he wasn’t trying particularly hard to get away. Or to protect himself, for that matter.

You responded by prodding the opposite ‘knee’ in the same spot.

Bumblebee let out another yelp-laugh and backed away again. The game was on.

You patiently chased him around the plant, saying, “Where is it, Bumblebee?” on occasion. Bumblebee, for his part, began to lose his balance as he became more and more worked up, snickering before you got anywhere near him. At one point, his back hit a wall, and that was when you knew you had him.

You went for one knee, working your fingers in and around the cables you could feel. They twitched in response to your touch, and Bumblebee let out a peal of laughter before he slid to the ground, losing balance in his stabilizers entirely. You backed away to ensure you wouldn’t get hit or squished, but once his aft hit the floor, you scrambled up to get back to work.

“This isn’t faaaair!” he complained, finally reaching to clamp one servo protectively over that spot.

“I’ll show you _ unfair _,” you teased, and climbed up to where you could get at the space just under the glass of his cab.

It wasn’t long before you had him on the floor, face-down, cackling while you pinched and worked your fingers along his chassis, straddling his back.

Never in your wildest dreams had you imagined befriending aliens. Certainly not alien robots. And definitely not giant alien robots that happened to be ticklish. It was a discovery that had left you and Sari both open-mouthed in surprise, and Bumblebee pink in the faceplate for the rest of the day--all because you’d innocently prodded a spot when he’d been prone on the floor playing with Sari, and he’d let out a screech that had gotten everyone’s attention in the plant.

After that, you’d incredulously asked Ratchet about it. To which the older ‘bot had heaved a sigh and said, somewhat defensively, “Those sensors are important in case we get particles--_ or worse _\--in joints and the like. It’s not like that’s a purely human phenomenon!”

Of course, after you’d made such an amusing discovery, you’d had to put it to the test. Luckily, Bumblebee had provided it for you in the most convenient way possible: by being an adorable brat.

Just like now.

“C’mon, Bumblebee,” you coaxed, letting your fingers feel where the cables were twitching the most in response to your touch. “Just tell me what you did with it this time and I’ll stop.”

He smacked the concrete floor in response, and you saw a crack appear under his fist. “_ Nohoho _!"

“I can do this as long as it takes, y’know. You sorta left yourself wide open for this.” You drummed your fingers along his back, near his side plating. 

“Sari, _ help _!” was his reaction.

You laughed, even as Sari began to giggle from the sofa. “No way!” she shouted over at the two of you, grinning. “I know better than to get in between two people flirting.”

Your fingers froze.

You stopped, glancing up at Sari, who was still beaming at the two of you as though she hadn’t realized she’d said anything odd.

Then, you stammered, “D-don’t be silly, Sari. This isn’t.. It’s not…”

“Whatever.” Sari rolled her eyes. “I’m going to play a game. Didn’t you say you had to go?”

You looked down at Bumblebee, who had turned his helm to peek up at you, propping himself up on his arms. Then, you sighed, and slid off of him. 

“Don’t listen to Sari,” Bumblebee said, his voice thick with static and somewhat warbly. When your eyes met his optics, he gave you a sheepish grin. “She just likes to rile you up, too.”

“Yeah.” You felt the urge to fidget as he slowly pushed himself up into a kneeling position. “She’s right though, I really do need to get home.”

“Right.” He vented out some air. “Okay. Well, you got me, so.” He reached into his cab, and produced your bag. He held it out between the two of you as a peace offering.

You snorted. “Really? You had it in you the entire time?” You softened your voice before adding a playful, “Dork."

“I’m not a dork!” He paused. “What’s a dork?”

“You. You’re a dork.” You reached out to gently poke him in the chestplate, since it was in reach. Then, you accepted your bag and slung it over one shoulder. “Thank you. I better go find Prowl; he offered to get me home since he has to patrol tonight.”

Bumblebee nodded. “Right. But seriously, you’re coming by tomorrow, aren’t you?”

You hesitated. Then, licking your lips, you promised, “I’ll try.”

He smiled then. “Okay. Today was fun.” His smile turned into a smirk. “Even though you’re super evil, sometimes.”

“What? I am not!” You playfully scoffed at him, and turned on your heel. “Bye, _ dork _.”

“Bye,” he said, and there was a soft catch to his voice that made you very tempted to stop and turn back to look at him.

But again, that was probably just the crush you had. So you ignored it and marched toward Prowl’s room--

\--only to realize he was emerging from it, as though he’d been summoned.

“Time to go?” he asked you. When you nodded, he wordlessly transformed.

You, meanwhile, reached into your bag and pulled out a helmet.

Prowl waited without comment as you put your helmet on, and climbed onto his alt mode. At first, you’d gotten the sense he was offended by your insistence on the protective gear. When you’d explained that not wearing a helmet was a great way to attract unwanted police attention, however, he seemed to accept it.

Once you were settled, he began to slowly drive out of the plant. Bumblebee, who had joined Sari on the couch, perked up as you drove by. The two of them waved, and you mirrored the gesture before you were taken out onto the streets.

“I take it Bumblebee was giving you trouble again today,” Prowl said, and you heard the faint amusement in his voice.

“He was being a goof, is all.” You shifted, keeping a gentle grip on the handlebars but otherwise trusting Prowl to watch the road.

“Hmm. He seems to do that a lot.”

“What, be a goof? I imagine it’s in his programming.”

“Give you trouble.”

“It doesn’t bother me,” you said earnestly. “I know he’s just playing around. If it honestly annoyed me, I wouldn’t play back.”

He hummed in response, but fell silent.

You followed suit, watching the scenery go past as he wove between the other vehicles on the road to get you home. It wasn’t ridiculously far from where their plant was, but it was long enough you were starting to feel tired by the time he rolled up at your place.

“Thank you for the ride,” you said, climbing off of him.

To your surprise, he transformed. “May I have a word, before you turn in for the night?”

That made you stop. “Uh, sure? Is something wrong?”

He knelt in front of you, peering into your eyes with an intensity that made you feel like you were in trouble. “How long has it been since we all first met you?”

Hesitating, you counted back the months in your head. “Not quite a year yet, I think, but close to it.”

He gave one short nod. “And when did Bumblebee start ‘giving you trouble’?”

You rolled your eyes. “Aren’t you making a bigger deal out of this than you should be, Prowl? It’s just a game we play when he’s being a brat.”

Prowl hummed. “Then tell me.” He leaned forward, just a little. “Just how frequent has this ‘game’ of yours become?”

“It’s only been three times so far this wee-” You stopped.

Prowl’s lips quirked. “And it’s _ Wednesday _.” 

Now that he mentioned it… Bumblebee had goaded you into ‘attacking’ him every single time you had to head home this past week. And the week before that? It hadn’t been _ every _day, but…

Seemingly satisfied with whatever he was seeing on your face, Prowl leaned back. “Bumblebee is trying to tell you something. Perhaps you should look beyond the ‘game’. Sit him down and talk to him.”

You furrowed your brow. “You’re sure it’s that important to bring up to him?”

“More than I suspect either of you realize. And the sooner you do, the greater a relief it’ll be for the rest of us.”

“Huh?”

He chose that moment to transform back into his alt mode. A moment later, his holoform appeared on top of the ‘bike’, the human figure bobbing his head toward you. “Pleasant dreams,” he said with a voice that came from the bike. And with that, he took off.

You watched him go, still frowning.

After a long moment, you turned on your heel and headed inside, turning the conversation over in your head. Even as you got out your keys, got inside, locked your door, and went about your usual nightly routine, Prowl’s advice echoed in your head.

Talk to Bumblebee?

_ Easier said than done. “Hey, Bumblebee, wanna tell me why you keep goading me into tickling you every day?” _ You snorted at the thought. _ Yeah, sure, he’ll get _ right _ on telling me exactly what’s up. _

You hesitated, your hand reaching out toward the shower knob. You hadn’t even realized you were about to turn on the hot water, and now you found yourself staring at your hand.

_ But why _ is _ he doing it so much? _

_ And why does he just _ take _ it every time? It’s not like he can’t stop me; he’s a fifteen-foot-tall robot who can lift me in one servo, if he wanted. _

Through showering, brushing your teeth, and plugging in your phone to charge, your mind kept going back to that one question. Finally, you tumbled into bed, and rolled to stare up at the ceiling.

Unbidden, memories of Bumblebee’s teasing smirk, followed by his uncontrollable laughter, filled your mind. You smiled despite yourself, then nodded.

_ Tomorrow. I’ll get to the bottom of this tomorrow. _

You felt your crush grow a little stronger that night.


	2. What is there to work out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and kudos. :) I opted to make this chapter longer, rather than splitting it up, so that any and all explicit happenings can go in the third chapter as I promised. Hope you're all having a good week!

Sari picked up on the third ring. “_Hey! You comin’ over today _?” she asked, sounding excited.

“Hey, Sari.” You grinned, even though she couldn’t see you. “Yeah, if that’s cool with everybody. I know it’s kind of late in the day.”

“_We were wondering if you’d show up.” _ Her voice dropped, as if she were about to tell you a secret. “'_Bee’s been all anxious and everything. He didn’t want to start anything too cool without knowing if you’d be here for it! _”

Your heart squeezed at that. “Aw, man. He can be a sweetheart when he wants to be.” You paused. “Don’t tell him I said that!”

Sari snickered. “_Why? If I did, d’you think he’d know you had a crus-- _”

“_Sari _!”

Her snickers grew into giggles. 

“I’m glad you think this is funny,” you muttered. 

It was no surprise that Sari had picked up on your crush right away. With her being attached at the hip to Bumblebee, she was sure to notice anything happening to and around him. But the fact that Sari could one day just let it slip worried you. 

Not that she would do it on purpose.

But still.

“_I’ll send one of the guys to pick you up _ ,” Sari said, when her laughter calmed. “_Just sit tight until then _!”

“Thanks,” you said, and hung up.

Pocketing your phone, you made sure you had your bag slung over your shoulder before heading out to wait on the sidewalk. Whoever they sent wouldn’t be long.

To your pleasant surprise, a little yellow compact car came zipping down the street toward you a few minutes later. It came to a skidding stop in front of your place, the passenger door popping open. Beaming, you waved.

“Hey!” you greeted Bumblebee, darting over and jumping into the passenger seat. The door shut behind you as you reached for a seatbelt. “Thanks for picking me up.”

“No prob!” He revved his engine. “Wanna see how fast I am getting back to the plant?”

“It’s the start of rush hour, Bumblebee,” you said to him as he started off. “You’re not getting anywhere that fast. Timing it would be depressing.”

“Aww, c’mon! It’ll be fun, and I bet you I’ll beat the traffic jams!”

“Your funeral,” you said, pulling out your phone again. Sari had sent you a message since you’d been on the phone with her, and your eyes flicked over the notification.

Sari: You’re welcommmee :3

You quirked a smile at that, shaking your head. Then you pulled up your stopwatch app and hit ‘start’. “What’ve you guys been up to today? Sari said you had some cool plans?”

“Boy do I ever! Man, we were worried we wouldn’t get up to anything in time, with you not calling!”

“You could have done the cool things without me,” you pointed out.

“That’s not--” he faltered. Then, he seemed to shake himself a little. “That’s not the point! Anyway, d’you wanna hear what the plan is or not?”

“I’d love to.”

He zipped down little side streets rather than taking the main roads. As he did, he began to explain. The plan was, as you’d suspected, a series of video games Sari had brought over for them to play. “Okay I know what you’re thinking,” he said, before you could comment. “But these rhythm games are actually pretty fun! At first we were looking at this one that required this ‘dance pad’ thingy but Sari said that we’d probably tear it up. Literally.”

You chuckled.

Seemingly encouraged, he continued, “So! She found one that uses sensors instead, so we can all play! It’s just a matter of figuring out the height thing, which I think we did.”

“Yeah, you are much taller than either of us,” you agreed.

“Heh.” You imagined that, if he were in his robot mode, he would be puffing out his chest and grinning. “Yeah, I sure am. But luckily, not so tall that we can’t all play together!”

“Awesome. It sounds like fun.”

“And! That’s not it!” You could practically feel ‘Bee vibrating with excitement. “Since you and Sari are going to be there for a while, and dancing drains you of energy… here’s my thought. Okay, pause your timer a second.”

“Why? We’re not anywhere near--” you blinked as he pulled into the drive-thru of Bot Burger, and let out a laugh. “Seriously?”

“Yeah! Check the glove compartment.”

You did so, and found a couple of twenties. “Wait, is this from Sari?”

“What? _ No _! I’m not making a little kid pay for a burger, jeez,” he said, sounding offended. “That’s my money. I’m paying for it. My treat.”

You bit your lower lip. You had some questions about how, exactly, he’d gotten his servos on that money. It hadn’t really been something brought up before.

_ Then again, considering all the Autobots do to help Detroit out, surely the mayor gives them funds or something. Otherwise how would they have that sweet TV setup? _

A smile began to spread across your face. “Are you sure? You can’t eat anything here.”

“We got some good quality oil back at the plant, don’t worry, I can totally join you when it’s break time. You just order whatever it is that works best for you and Sari, okay? I think she likes the ‘number three’.”

“Number three it is, then. Thank you, ‘Bee, this is super sweet of you.”

A few seconds of static came through his radio. Then, he said, “Sweet! Yep, that’s me! I’m the sweetest.”

“You are,” you agreed, patting the dashboard.

Bumblebee was very little help when you actually started talking with the ‘bot manning the drive-thru. Not content to let you order a couple of combos, he began suggesting desserts, getting bigger sizes of everything, and asking for any and every kind of sauce the place offered (and some that they didn’t). You gently elbowed the seat you were sitting in, and were greatly amused that he let out an, “oof” as if he were a human who’d gotten nudged in the ribs.

Finally, you got your food… and then some.

“I don’t think I’ve ever ordered this much junk food for two people before,” you said, looking at the bags of food collected in your lap and around your feet in the passenger’s seat.

“Great, right?”

“I mean, I’m excited about trying some of these things. Like the desserts, for sure.”

“Right? They look so neat! Some of them are swirly and some of them are cold and I think you’re supposed to heat up a couple of them.”

“Bumblebee, Sari and I can’t possibly finish all of this before it goes bad, though.”

There was a suspicious silence.

You squinted at the dashboard. “Did you get some of this just to try yourself?”

“Maaaybe.”

“Can you even _ eat _human food?”

“I can drink the liquids!” he said, sounding defensive.

“I don’t think soda and oil mix very well.”

“Hey, it’s my tank, I can put whatever I want in it.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want you getting sick.” You pouted.

“I won’t! You worry too much.”

You continued to pout.

“None of that,” he admonished you.

“I’ll do it until you promise you won’t make yourself sick trying human food.”

He let out a sigh. “All right, all right! But can I at least _ taste _it?” When you frowned, he added, “I won’t let anything into my tank, I just wanna see what it’s like! You and Sari always look like you’re having so much fun when you eat Earth food. I just wanna try some of it for myself.”

You got the feeling that, if he were in his robot mode, Bumblebee would be giving you the best set of puppy eyes his optics could muster.

Giving in to a smile despite yourself, you patted his dashboard again. “Okay, I guess taste-testing it might be fun. Maybe Sari can record it? I bet people out there would love to know what a Cybertronian thinks about Earth food.”

He brightened immediately. “Oh man, you think?”

The two of you began to hash out plans for a video to put online somewhere as he drove you the rest of the way to the plant. The sun was starting to go down as you arrived. He went right in to the main room, then popped open the passenger door for you. You hit the timer, and shook your head.

“Just like I thought,” you said. “You’re better off not knowing how long that took us.”

“What, don’t tell me you kept the timer running while we fueled up!”

You smirked. “You never told me to pause it.” You pocketed your phone again.

“I did too!” he protested.

You thought back on your conversation. Sure enough, you realized belatedly that he’d asked you to pause the timer when you’d pulled into the fast food joint. “Well, still, though.”

“Maaaan,” he playfully whined, “you gotta learn the rules of timing a run like that!”

Sari, spotting you, leaped off of the giant sofa and rushed over to help you with the bags. “Holy crap, did you guys get _ every single item _ on the menu?” she demanded, her eyes widening. She grabbed three of the bags and backed away as you tried to handle the rest.

“Something like that.” You climbed out of the passenger seat, gingerly lifting the rest of the bags out. “Bumblebee’s thinking he wants to taste-test things.”

Sari narrowed her eyes. “Ratchet yelled at us the last time I fed you something, Bumblebee.”

“Ratchet doesn’t have to know!” Bumblebee retorted. Once you’d cleared out of the passenger seat, he changed back into his robot mode. He took a moment to stretch his arms over his helm, then let them drop. “Besides, I won’t actually _ eat _anything this time, I just wanna taste!”

“Weeeell.” Sari gave you a calculating look. “You think it’s okay?”

You shrugged. “He’s a grown ‘bot, he can make his own decisions.”

Sari seemed to consider that for a few seconds. Then, she grinned. “Good enough for me. Let’s chow down!”

The three of you made it over to the sofa, chatting and laughing as you opened up all the bags. You designated a bag as what Bumblebee could use after he was done tasting things, then pulled out your phone to record the show.

Sari did the same, and soon the two of you were laughing as Bumblebee tasted a little of everything, from the salty french fries to the creamy (melted) ice cream. His expressions were priceless, especially when he tried something he didn’t like. The two of you ate very little while he carefully licked at whatever food he had held between two digits.

After he’d tried a bit of each thing, he let out a final, “bleck!” and got to his feet. “Man, you humans are weird. I can’t even process all the flavors you have in all that; way too strange for me. I’m gonna get my oil. Be right back!” With that, he headed off toward where the ‘bots kept their fuel.

You picked up a french fry (which had gone cold by now) and nibbled on it, watching him go.

“Sari?” you ventured after a minute.

“What’s up?” 

“D’you… think you can arrange to leave the room for a couple minutes at some point tonight? I need to talk to Bumblebee.”

She was silent. You turned, expecting to see an offended expression, but was surprised to see her staring at you with wide-eyed delight, her hands cupping either side of her face.

“Are you confessing?” she demanded in a stage whisper. “Tell me you are!”

“No!” You waved your hands to dismiss the idea. “I just.. I need to talk to him privately. About adult stuff.” You cast around for something that sounded appropriately adult and boring. “Like, y’know, taxes.”

There was a beat.

“Taxes,” she said flatly.

You smiled sheepishly.

“I’m a kid, not dumb,” she told you. Then she let out a sigh, dropping her hands to her hips. “Fine, but if I do this for you, you owe me big time in return.”

“How big are we talking?” you asked.

Sari eyed you thoughtfully. “You let me win the next five games we compete on. And agree to the ‘loser’ dares we set up for them.”

Oh man.

“Five games? That’s overkill,” you protested. “I’ll do two.”

“Three or no deal.”

Ugh. 

Letting your shoulders slump, you nodded. “Okay, three.”

She smiled. “Excellent.”

“What’s excellent?” Bumblebee called, on his way back out. You saw he had an oil can in one servo. “You guys upload your videos yet?”

“Not yet,” you told him. “We gotta edit them first and make it into a video that looks cool.”

“Oh!” He brightened. “Yeah, I wanna help with that!”

“Maybe if we hook up a computer to your TV here so we can all look at the screen?” you mused.

“I think I left a laptop in your room last time I was here,” Sari said to Bumblebee. “Can I go and get it?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, sure.” He waved a hand, then settled on the couch. He tilted his head back, downing several swallows’ worth of oil. “Okay, now this? This is quality fuel, by the way.” He pointed at the can for extra effect.

“Bumblebee, if we drank that we’d be dead,” you said.

“Yeah, yeah.” 

Sari shot you a Look, then a sneaky thumbs up before scrambling off and heading for Bumblebee’s room. You watched her go for a moment, feeling your heartrate speed up. 

“Where are the others?” you asked, as casually as possible.

Bumblebee shrugged. “Bulkhead’s on patrol. Ratchet is Ratchet. Prime’s having a long-distance meeting of some sort, and I think Prowl’s helping him. It’s been kinda boring without you around, honestly.”

You smiled. “You could have asked Sari to call me earlier in the day. I would have come sooner, but I figured you had stuff to do.”

“I mean, I _ did _.” He fiddled with the oil can, staring at it with an intensity that made you think he was trying to avoid looking your way.

You let it go quiet for a moment. Then, you said, “Hey, Bumblebee?”

“Yeah?”

You reached for another french fry, wondering how to bring it up. Was it better to be blunt? “I have… a question. And I’m not sure how you’d react to it, but you might freak out, and I don’t want you to,” you said slowly. 

He slowly turned his head in your direction as you spoke, furrowing his brow in confusion. “Okay,” he said, drawing the word out. “Like, freak out in a bad way?”

“I hope not.” You shook your head. “I don’t mean anything mean by it, and I don’t want anything to necessarily… change, just by asking the question.”

“This is super confusing, y’know.”

You giggled. “I know, I’m sorry. I guess what I’m asking is, can I try bringing up this question? Would you be cool with it?”

Bumblebee fidgeted a bit. “It’s not a bad question, you said?” he asked. When you nodded, he offered a smile. “Then, yeah, hit me.”

You had a third fry. Wiped your hands on your top. Took a breath, then glanced up at him. He was leaning a little toward you, smile still on his face. The expression comforted you somewhat.

“So uh… you know how basically every day now, we kind of… roughhouse?” you started, fighting the urge to fidget with your clothes. “And don’t get me wrong. It’s fun. It’s just… you never fight back.” You dropped your gaze, glanced up at him, and made yourself continue. “I guess I’m getting mixed signals from you.”

His smile had faded, and you swore you saw his faceplate turning pink in some parts. It was an expression you hadn’t seen on him before. His digits tapped on the oil can, and he started, glancing down at it before back at you with an almost shy look on his face. “That’s… not a question,” he pointed out.

You licked your lips. “Okay.” Man, why were you getting so worked up about this? Your heart was pounding, and you could feel your face getting warmer. In fact, everything was feeling a bit warmer, and you weren’t sure why. You thought you heard the click of something turning on nearby. Fans kicking on? 

“Okay,” you repeated. “Then, just directly. Bumblebee, why do you keep--”

A door somewhere opened, and you heard thudding footsteps.

Bumblebee jolted up to his feet. “OhheyIforgottotellSariwherethatlaptopisbetterdothat,” he blurted, and before you had a chance to respond, he was racing down toward his room.

You stared at the space where he’d been sitting, blinking in surprise.

The thudding footsteps, meanwhile, got louder, until you had Bulkhead peering out into the main room at you. “Oh. Hey, didn’t know you were coming today,” he greeted you.

“Hi,” you said absently.

There was a pause. “You okay?” Bulkhead pressed, tilting his head at you. “You look shell-shocked.”

“No, I... I’m okay.” You sighed, and pulled your knees up to your chest. “Just having dinner.”

“Oh hey, refueling. Good idea. Can I join you?”

“Sure.”

So much for that.

You halfheartedly sipped at one of the drinks while Bulkhead collected a can of his own oil, then came to sit next to you on the couch. You scooted over to the armrest so he had plenty of space. He grunted as he settled next to you. You had the feeling he was watching you carefully.

“How goes the art?” you asked.

“It’s good. Made some progress.”

“Oh. That’s good.”

You winced at how flat you sounded. Usually, you’d be able to ask more about what Bulkhead was working on. But now, you just sort of wished he would carry on the conversation on his own. Or, failing that, would find an excuse to go.

“You sure you’re okay? You look down.”

Blinking, you shook your head, forcing a smile up at him. “I promise I’m totally okay.”

“Something happen between you and Bumblebee?”

You felt heat rush to your cheeks, and you lowered your eyes, sipping at your drink to buy yourself time. Then, just before the silence got too awkward, you said, “Nothing really happened. I just… wanted to talk to him about something. But I guess he wasn’t feeling up for it.”

“With _ you _? Really?” Bulkhead leaned down to stare at you incredulously. “But he’s all about spending time with you!”

Shrugging, you set the now-empty drink to one side. “Dunno what to tell you. Maybe because it was a more serious conversation than usual.”

“I’ve walked in on you both having talks about Cybertron, and he doesn’t like talking about home with anybody,” Bulkhead pointed out. “Look, you want me to go get him?”

“No! I don’t want to force him.” You reached out in an attempt to reach Bulkhead’s arm. You only reached his leg, however, so you gave that a single pat. “Thank you for the offer, though.”

“Hey, anytime. Bumblebee’s my buddy, but he can be a dummy about some things, y’know?”

You smiled a bit. “I hear that.”

Bulkhead chuckled. “There, now you look more like you.”

Not knowing how to react to that, you shook your head. “Seriously, distract me, will you? Tell me about your art, please?”

Bulkhead did. Sari eventually came wandering out, and shot you a thoroughly unimpressed frown when you made eye contact. You shrugged with one shoulder in answer, and she let out a sigh before setting the laptop on the coffee table, shoving aside some of the containers of food. Then, she clambered up to join you and Bulkhead for a movie.

About an hour into it, Bumblebee finally reappeared. He was very careful not only to not make eye contact with you, but to also sit on the other side of Bulkhead. That hurt enough that you completely lost track of what was happening in the movie, despite staring resolutely ahead at the screen. Sari went to him and curled up next to ‘Bee’s leg. He shifted to accommodate her.

When the movie ended, you glanced at the time. Then, you made a show of yawning. “Y’know, I thought I had more energy, but I should probably head home,” you said.

“Oh. That’s too bad. You sure?” Bumblebee asked. You tried not to flinch at the relief in his voice.

God, you’d made things awkward, just like you’d thought you would.

“Yeah,” you said, plastering a fake smile on your face. “Maybe this coming weekend we can all hang out?”

“That sounds good,” Bulkhead said. He was giving you a funny look. “Who was supposed to give you a ride home tonight?”

“Would you mind?” you asked him, quickly. “You don’t have to take me the whole way. Just get me to the right exit on the highway and I’ll be good.”

“You sure?” Bulkhead looked uncomfortable. “A smaller car might work better for you.”

“Nah, it’s cool. Bumblebee and Sari had a bunch of stuff they wanted to do, so I don’t want to interrupt them.”

Bumblebee visibly flinched at that.

“Ookay,” Bulkhead said, and got to his feet. “This is weird, and I don’t like it. But if you two are just going to act all awkward, then I might as well take you home now.”

You nodded, and hopped off the couch. Then you saw your bag, settled right up against one of the legs of the coffee table. 

Yep. Things were weird and you’d ruined them by opening your mouth.

Slinging the bag over your shoulder, you waited for Bulkhead to transform, not looking at Bumblebee.

Someone tugged at your arm. You glanced down to see Sari frowning at you.

“I thought you said it was nothing bad,” she hissed up at you.

“It wasn’t _ supposed _to be!” you muttered back. 

“Well, why is he upset?”

“Not the time, Sari.”

“We’re going to be texting about this,” she threatened you, but released your arm. You could see concern warring with annoyance on her face. “I’m going to ask him what happened.”

“Yeah, you do that. Sorry to ruin your fun tonight, kiddo.” 

She huffed and stepped back. You offered a halfhearted wave, then climbed up into Bulkhead’s passenger-side seat. The door shut, and you deliberately didn’t look out to see if Bumblebee was even watching as you took off.

You weren’t sure if it was better if he was watching or not.

Bulkhead had the presence of mind to wait until you were onto the highway before he spoke. “Okay, what’s going on? You and Bumblebee never act like this.” Cars moved out of the way as he drove, giving him plenty of space to move without fear of bumping into anything. 

You folded your arms over your chest and looked out the window. “I, uh, might have pushed a button or two I wasn’t meant to push yet.”

“Bumblebee likes it when you push his buttons. Oh. Wait, you’re talking about upsetting him, not the physical thing?”

You nodded.

Bulkhead processed this. “How’d you upset him? I mean, usually when he’s angry he gets louder, not quiet.”

“Well, I…” You sighed. “Prowl said I should talk to Bumblebee about, y’know, how he’s been stealing my bag a lot lately. So I brought it up tonight.” You swallowed. “But I made it weird, and now he doesn’t want to talk to me, or even look in my direction--”

“_ Whoa _,” Bulkhead said, and you stopped. 

When you did, you took in a shaky breath, and were surprised to realize your eyes were welling up with tears.

“Whoa,” he repeated, a bit more gently. “I think you’re blowing this outta proportion. Bumblebee will probably be back to normal the next time you come over. You can bring it up again, or not, if you want, but you’re okay.”

You reached up with one hand to wipe at your eyes as discreetly as you could. The last thing you wanted was to make Bulkhead uncomfortable. You’d already done that to Bumblebee, all over a question you shouldn’t have even asked. Prowl meant well, so you didn’t blame him for suggesting you talk, but you just hadn’t timed it right, and…

You sniffed. 

Great, now you were getting more worked up.

“If you need to leak, you can go ahead,” Bulkhead said. 

“No, I’m fine,” you said stubbornly, wiping at your eyes more angrily.

“Well. It’s okay anyway, just in case.” He fell silent.

You took the chance to try to calm down, taking deep breaths. Bulkhead was right, after all. You were overreacting. You’d had disagreements with Bumblebee in the past. This would pass too, right? 

That was when something made you frown and tilt your head. “What did you say before?”

“Uh. I said a lot, can you be more specific?”

“About Bumblebee and pushing his buttons.”

“Oh.” You got the impression he was trying to shrug. “You mean the part about him liking it? Thought that was pretty obvious. You’re the only one he messes around with like that.”

Huh.

You thought on that a moment.

_ Bumblebee… _ likes _ getting tickled? _

Something about that was really adorable. And it also made sense, judging by how he’d reacted. His pink faceplate, his shy expression, the way he’d bolted when you tried to get an answer out of him when, normally…

_ When normally he flails and makes a big fuss, but secretly loves the attention. _

By the time you reached home, you were thoughtful, and while your eyes and nose ached faintly, you weren’t in any danger of crying anymore.

“You gave me a lot to think about,” you told Bulkhead as he popped his door open. “And you didn’t have to drive me all the way to my door like this; I know it’s a pain with how narrow the roads are here. Thank you.”

He fluttered his door dismissively. “We gonna see you around soon?” he asked while you climbed out.

You nodded. “Yeah. I think so. I just gotta figure a thing or two out, first.”

“Mkay. Well, hope you figure ‘em out soon.” His door shut. “Take it easy, all right?”

“You too. Thanks, Bulkhead.”

With that, Bulkhead took off into the night.

You had about a million messages from Sari, but you opted to ignore them for now in favor of sprawling on your bed, thinking about the pieces you were putting together in your head.

_ Next time I’m over, I’m going to do this properly. I’m going to talk to him. And if he doesn’t want to... I’ll make him want to. _

_ ~*~ _

Sari: You promise you’re not going to weird him out again, right?

You: Nah. I think it’ll be fine this time. I’m prepared.

Sari: You better be. He’s been antsy all week. Keeps fidgeting and looking at the door.

Your heart did a funny thing when you read that.

You: You’re still good to clear out the area while I talk to him?

Sari: Better idea; I’ll find an excuse to get you both into his room. Bulkhead and I will find a way to lock the door.

Sari: Then you stay in there until you work things out. Capiche?

You smirked a little.

You: That’d be perfect. You’re the best, Sari.

Sari: ‘Course I am! >:3

Bumblebee had certainly been influencing her in more ways than one.

Today you were being taken into base by Optimus, who had swung by to pick you up after dealing with a fire downtown. He still smelled of smoke, but after you’d fussed at him, he reassured you that he was feeling perfectly fine. “Nothing a little decontamination won’t fix,” he’d said.

Your ride was relatively quiet as you went. Perhaps Optimus didn’t want to interrupt, with the way you and Sari had been texting up a storm. You didn’t mind. Optimus was good company to have on occasion. 

“We’re here,” he said, and you looked up to see that indeed, you were rolling into the main entrance of the plant.

Once he’d come to a stop, you slipped out and waited for him to transform. Then, you craned your neck to smile up at him. “Thanks again for the ride, Optimus.”

“No trouble at all. Stick around as long as you like,” he said. He glanced behind you, and something that he saw made him smirk a bit. “I better go get cleaned up. Excuse me.”

With that, he headed off to get cleaned up.

Someone hurtled into you from behind. You let out a loud, “Oof!” in surprise before turning to see Sari was clinging to you like a little monkey. “Hey,” you said. “What’s the big idea?”

“You need to help me! Bumblebee’s cheating!” she said, putting on her best set of puppy eyes.

You blinked, glancing over to see that the two had a game on the big screen. Bulkhead was on the couch next to ‘Bee, and waved when you made eye contact. You waved back. Bumblebee didn’t look up; he was staring at the television, choosing a character for the next round.

“Is he?” you asked.

“Yeah! He’s cheating and winning everything.”

“How is he cheating?”

“By winning! Weren’t you listening? C’mon.” She tugged on your hand, dragging you toward the couch. “Time’s a wasting and you need to help.”

“Uh, okay.”

You let yourself be dragged over. Bulkhead shot you a friendly smile when you went past. Bumblebee, having chosen his character, finally dropped his gaze to look at the two of you. 

Your heart thudded in your chest.

Man, you thought your crush was bad before, but seeing him after almost an entire week? This almost hurt.

“Hi,” you said, and hated that your greeting sounded like a squeak.

Something in Bumblebee’s expression softened. “Hi,” he echoed. “Been a while.”

“Yeah.” You cleared your throat, and put on a smile. “Sari’s telling me you’re cheating at this game.”

His optical ridge went up. “Whaaat? Why would I bother cheating?” He smirked, lifting one hand to rest it on his chassis. “I’m already the best player here.”

Sari whined. “That’s so not true!”

You glanced between them. “What are you guys playing, anyway?”

“It’s a rhythm game! Though uh, we broke the drums that came with it, so we’re just using the controllers.” Bumblebee let out a nervous laugh. “Anyway, it’s pretty fun besides that. The patterns are tricky.”

“Cool.”

Sari whined your name. When you looked down at her, she pouted up at you. “What are you going to do about this?”

“I’m going to watch you guys play,” you told her. Then you glanced up at Bumblebee. “If that’s cool?”

“Huh?” Bumblebee blinked. “Yeah. Of course, why wouldn’t it be?”

Relief hit you harder than you wanted to admit. 

You hopped up on the sofa and settled on one side of Bumblebee, grabbing a pillow. Thank goodness for Sari; thanks to her, several parts of the plant had slowly become more comfortable for human visitors. The Autobots had no use for the soft cushions and blankets, but for you, it made the hard sofa far more bearable for long periods. Keeping a little distance between yourself and Bumblebee, you crossed your legs and leaned back to watch.

Sari and Bumblebee played two more rounds, explaining how the game worked as they went. On occasion, one or the other would taunt or groan about something happening on screen, and the atmosphere was… not completely comfortable, but it was worlds better than when you’d left the last time. You relaxed inch by inch until you were slouching.

You moved your arm and your hand brushed up against Bumblebee’s leg. You glanced up at him, even as you jerked your arm back. “Oh! Sorry.”

He glanced down at where you’d touched him. Sari, meanwhile, let out a whoop and pulled ahead as Bumblebee’s digits faltered. 

Then, Bumblebee protested, “Hey! No fair, distracting me!” He glanced back at the screen determinedly smashing buttons in an attempt to catch up.

The game ended with Sari cheering and dancing around her section of the couch in glee, and Bumblebee groaning at the loss.

“_ Yes _! I knew I could count on you!” Sari said, beaming over at you from her side of Bumblebee.

“Whatever,” Bumblebee grumbled. “Calling in reinforcements. _ Now _who’s the cheater?”

“Hah! You’re just a sore loser.”

“_ I’m _ a sore loser?” Bumblebee glanced at you, bemused. “Did you hear that, she thinks I’m a sore loser when she’s the one who dragged you over to help.” He held up a finger in admonishment. “And you, distracting me like that earlier. Not cool.”

“I didn’t do anything,” you said, slowly smirking. “Let’s be real here, if I decided to do something distracting it wouldn’t be bumping your leg.”

Bumblebee vented air with a suddenness that almost made you jump.

“If we really wanna decide who the sore loser is,” Sari said, cutting in far too smoothly for you not to be suspicious, “then we should try a good old fighting game. You still have it in your room, don’t you?”

Bumblebee perked up, seemingly grateful for the change in topic. He didn’t seem to notice the sly look on Sari’s face. “Yeah! Y’know what, you’re right. We can only settle this via best out of three. I’ll be right back.” He set his controller down and got to his feet, then began to march off toward his room.

You waited a beat, glancing over at Bulkhead and Sari.

The two of them waved at you to go after him, so you hopped off the couch and jogged after Bumblebee.

He wasn’t expecting anyone to follow him, or he likely would have slowed down; he almost always kept his pace slow enough for you or Sari to keep up with him. As it was, he was in his room in an instant. You took a minute or so of jogging down the hall before you made it inside. 

All the while, you could hear Bulkhead trying not-so-subtly to sneak after you, and winced at every thud his footfalls made, convinced that Bumblebee would poke his head out to see who was making all the noise.

Thankfully, he had his back to the door when you reached it, and was rummaging through a chest of video games. How he’d managed to collect so many games in such a short time on earth was beyond you. Even with Sari’s help, it amazed you that he’d had the chance to play through so many already.

“Need some help?” you called out from the doorway.

Bumblebee jumped, and jerked his head around to look at you. “Oh! Hi!” He offered a somewhat startled grin. “What’s up? Miss me already?”

You smiled back at him, edging inside the room. “Sari gave me orders to help you look.” You shrugged. “So uh, dunno if you need help, but I’m here in case you do.”

Bumblebee snorted. “Sari’s weird sometimes.” He turned his attention back to the pile of video games. “I’m pretty sure I know where I left it. You can just chill there a second, I’ll be right with you.”

“Okay.”

You glanced behind yourself. Bulkhead had made it to the door. You edged a few steps further in, and he nodded at you.

“Good luck,” he said to you in as soft a voice as he could muster. Then, he slammed the door down.

You jumped and squawked, but you weren’t the only one.

“What the _ frag _?!”

Bumblebee had whipped around and was marching toward the door to his room. He reached down to yank it open, but paused when it didn’t give. Tugging on the door, he looked at you with a furrowed optical ridge, then looked back at the door. 

“What the frag is going on out there?” Bumblebee called. Giving up on opening the door, he smacked it with a fist instead. “Hey! What’re you trying to pull?”

“You two are actin’ weird,” Bulkhead called through. “Work things out, or the door stays shut.”

“Don’t be a glitch, Bulkhead! I might have oil in here but humans need food! And toilets! And, and…”

“Then you both better talk fast, eh? Bye.”

With that, you heard Bulkhead begin to lumber away.

“Bulkhead! Come back here and open my door!” When Bulkhead didn’t answer, Bumblebee turned to you, throwing his arms up in irritation. “Can you believe this? How did he even do that, anyway? These are supposed to only lock from the inside!”

You shrugged.

Bumblebee dropped his arms and let out a sigh, slumping forward. Then, he perked up. “Any ideas, then?”

“We could… do what he wants,” you suggested.

“What, talk? But we’re already cool, right? I mean, we always were.”

“Were we?” You let a little hurt creep into your voice then.

It must have registered, because Bumblebee glanced at you. “Y-yeah.” He seemed to wilt from uncertainty. “I mean, weren’t we?”

“I dunno.” You frowned. “You avoided me over a question, and that was after I asked you not to freak out.”

“I didn’t freak out--!” He stopped, then vented again before shrugging, conceding the point. “Okay, so I did. My bad.”

“Bumblebee?”

He tilted his head at you, and you pointed to his berth.

“Can we just sit and talk for a minute?”

He considered, glancing over at the berth before looking back at you. Then, he nodded. “Okay. Not like we can go anywhere else, anyway.”

For a beat, neither of you made a move. Realizing you would have to be the one to do it, you let out a sigh, and started over toward his berth. When you reached it, you heard his footsteps behind you.

“Want a lift?” he asked, as you contemplated just how high his berth was. 

“Please.”

You turned in time to see him lean down to scoop you up with both servos. His expression was soft again, and more than a little shy as he set you down on his berth. You flashed him a smile in thanks and sat, cross-legged. He sat next to you, letting his stabilizers hang off the edge of the berth.

“So,” he said, when the silence was about to become awkward.

“So,” you echoed. You rested your hands on your own knees to keep them from fidgeting. Turning your head to stare straight out ahead of yourself, rather than at Bumblebee, you finally spoke. “Wanna tell me the real reason why you keep stealing my bag?”

“Heh. Wow. Just getting to the point, huh? I can dig that.” He reached up to rub at the back of his own helm. “Um. Can you look at me a sec?”

You did as asked, turning to peer up at him. Even sitting, he was more than tall enough to pass as a human standing upright, but he was ducking down a little to look at you.

“And… can you stand up, too?”

You let out a half-playful sigh. “Making me do all the work, huh? Okay.” You climbed up to your feet as he watched you. Your heart was picking up speed. “Now what?”

“Now I hope that someone out there is listening and you don’t get mad at me when I do this.”

Before you could question what he was saying, Bumblebee had leaned in and was pressing his lips against yours.

You froze.

Bumblebee had always leaned forward in interest whenever you’d watched a movie that involved kissing, staring at the screen as though trying to figure something out. You’d always found it endearing. At some point you’d asked if kissing was just not that big a thing on Cybertron, which had resulted in flailing limbs and loud declarations that _ of course _ Cybertronians smooched all the time why would you even _ wonder _that. 

This still didn’t answer your question. Bumblebee kept his kiss chaste, albeit stronger than you were used to; you had to regain your balance to ensure you wouldn’t go toppling back, and were grateful when you felt one of his servos gently resting on your upper and middle back to support you.

Once secure, you relaxed as the relief hit you like a wall of bricks.

When he pulled back, you blinked your eyes open--when had you closed them?--and asked, “Are you--please tell me you’re not joking, Bumblebee, please tell me this isn’t a prank or--”

“No!” he said, sounding horrified at the very idea of it. “No, why would I ever pull a prank that cruel? Especially on you? Why would I ever wanna hurt _ you _?”

You stared at each other.

Then, you quirked your lips up into a little smile. “So wait.” You reached up a hand to touch your lips. “I really liked the physical demonstration but… could you still say it? Out loud?”

He parted his lips a moment, then closed them. Then, looking sheepish, he vented out a little air. “I’ve gotten to really like you, y’know?” he said, softly. “You’re fun, and funny, and you go along with my dumb ideas while still making sure I don’t hurt myself, and you get along with Sari, and Bulkhead, and you’re… handsome? Beautiful? What’s the word for you? Gorgeous?”

You felt your face getting hotter the more he complimented you. “W-whatever one you want,” you stammered. “I-I just… I’m processing this, hang on.”

“Did I overheat your processor? Er, brain?”

Letting out a giggle, you pressed your hands to your face. “A little,” you admitted. 

He smiled for the first time since you started talking. “Can I at least get an answer?”

You nodded. “I think you’re amazing, Bumblebee.” You dropped your hands from your face, reaching around to catch his servo before he could pull it away. He let you wrap your hands around his digits. “You’re sweet, you’re dedicated, you’re fun and funny, too, and you’re adorable. Hot. Whatever word you’d like me to use for you.”

Hot air steamed out of his vents at that. “Sheesh, careful, you’re gonna give me a bigger head than I already got,” he teased, but his smile was growing the more you spoke. “So, we’re on the same page?”

“I think so. Almost.” You held up one hand, pointing the finger toward his chassis. “One more thing, though, and I want you to be totally honest with this, too.”

“Sure!” He nodded his head eagerly. “Whatever you want.”

“Okay.” You went back to holding his servo with both of your hands, fiddling with his digits. “What’s with teasing me until I tickle you every day?”

His optics went wide, and it was his turn to freeze in place.

You reassuringly patted the palm of his servo. “I already told you last time. I’m just asking. I’m not gonna tease you about it, I just wanna know.”

“You’re givin’ my spark a real workout today,” he muttered, averting his optics and letting his smirk turn wry.

“C’mon, Bumblebee.” 

He glanced back at you, all shyness again. “Okay, fine.” He made a show of casually shrugging. It would have been believable, if you hadn’t felt his servos shaking slightly in your hands. “Maybe it’s ‘cuz I like it. Maybe it’s ‘cuz your digits are so small you hit these sensors I’ve never really felt before. And it…” He shuddered. “It drives me crazy, y’know? But in a good way?” He shook his head. “I dunno how else to explain it.”

You felt your smile growing. “Really? ...I mean, I like it too, y’know.”

That made him start. “What?”

“Dude.” You giggled. “D’you think I’d keep falling for the same routine if I didn’t think it was fun, too?”

He tilted his head. “I don’t get it.”

“Dork.” You stepped in closer, releasing his servo in favor of looping your arms around his neck.

He let out a huff, but hugged you back, one servo gently pressing against your back. It was comforting, and warm, and you felt almost giddy at the prospect of it all.

You and Bumblebee actually felt the same way. What were the odds?

“So,” you said after a moment, grinning as you pulled back. Bumblebee let you, though he kept his servo lingering against your back as he peered down at you. “Here’s my next question, and it’s gonna be a doozy.”

“After the ones you already asked me? Gonna be hard to top what we’ve already talked about,” he said with a soft chuckle.

You ran your hands down his chassis, resting them on his cab. Peering up at him, you offered a hopeful smile.

“Can I tickle you now?”


	3. Wreck Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some things about your relationship have definitely changed now, but a lot of it has stayed the same. Namely, Bumblebee being a little shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for your kind comments and kudos. If you'd want to see more like this, let me know, yeah?
> 
> Warnings: Makeouts/non-platonic tickling that leads to fun times, especially for you. Reader continues to have no specified gender in this, which provided a unique challenge in describing certain... events.
> 
> You'll see what I mean.

Bumblebee’s faceplate went through a number of expressions, but the most telling reaction was the way he vented steam at your question. Searching your expression--maybe for reassurance?--he finally stammered, “Y-yeah. I mean, yes. Please? Uh. If you want?”

You felt your own smile grow. “S’why I asked you,” you said, patting his cab with one hand. “The last week has been kind of stressful on me, and I’m sure you need a laugh right now just as bad as I want to hear one.”

He let out a nervous-sounding giggle at that, then nodded. “Okay, but I want at least, like, five more kisses before we do that. Because I think you need a kiss as bad as I do.”

Your face heated at that, but echoing his laugh, you nodded and leaned in on your tippy-toes to reach him. “Okay, five kisses. Who’s counting?” you asked, your voice dropping as you inched closer.

He smirked. “One, two, three, not it?”

You laughed again. “Bumblebee.”

“Okay, maybe I don’t wanna count,” he said, sounding playfully frustrated. “I just finally have you here, in my room, and you’re gorgeous, and you’re into me, and _ Primus _I am so into you it’s not even funny. Can you blame a mech for wanting to make out a bit?”

Leaning in the rest of the way, you silenced him with a kiss. It was brief and still a bit chaste, but he seemed pleased when you pulled back just long enough to murmur, “Nah, not when I want that too.”

The two of you spent a few minutes figuring out how the other worked. The size difference was a little awkward, but not so bad that you couldn’t find a comfortable way to hold on. One of Bumblebee’s hands rested on your back, while the other began to stroke one side of your face. It would have been a soothing gesture, if the kisses didn’t become more heated the more you both relaxed.

What made you pull away was the sound of an engine revving.

Panting, you quirked a brow up at him, slowly grinning. “Is that you?” 

“Huh?”

You rested a hand on his cab. His chassis seemed to be rumbling. “That’s your engine, isn’t it?”

“Shaddap,” he scoffed. “You’re one to talk with your face looking like that.”

“Looking like _ what _?”

He smirked a little, and traced your lips with the very tip of one digit. “Like _ that _. Your lips are all puffy. They look super cute. Very kissable.”

You pretended to bite at his digit, making him withdraw it with a yelp. “I’m glad you think so. You’re not that bad yourself, you know. And all this time I couldn’t figure out if kissing was an actual thing on Cybertron.” That made you pause. “Wait. Is tickling?”

“Uhh, yeah? I mean, it’s generally something for sparklings, I guess, or flirting.” He offered you a sheepish smile, lowering his servo from your face. “Same as Earth.”

You ran your hands down along the parts of his chassis you could reach. “I can’t really figure out the logic about where you guys are sensitive. Some parts seem pretty obvious, but others seem kind of random.”

To your surprise, Bumblebee caught one of your hands in his servo and guided it over to where you could feel some grooves along his middle. As he did, his sheepish smile grew. “Transformation seams. I mean, every ‘bot has his or her own spots too, sure, but, those are a pretty safe place to try.”

You let your fingers trace the grooves, feeling him shudder under your touch. Well, that explained a few of the spots, at least. “So if I were to try this on any ‘bot--” 

“Pfffft!”

You stopped, then smirked up at him. Bumblebee looked very much like he was starting to regret things. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” he said, a little too quickly.

“That wasn’t you venting air, that was you trying not to make a noise.”

“Oh, c’mon, why would I be trying not to make any noi--!” he cut himself off, shying away as you crooked an index finger and wiggled it into a transformation seam. You could see him determinedly pressing his lips together in an attempt to hide a smile.

“Hey,” you said casually, staking a step forward to continue working that lone finger in that same spot. As Bumblebee wriggled, you continued, “How about a game? With some prizes in it?”

He caught your hand a second time, smiling despite himself. “Hold up. Wait, what kind of game?”

You let him hold onto your hand as you tilted your head up to look at his face better. “A timed game. I wanna see how long you can handle being tickled without blocking me or running away from it."

Intrigue sparked in his optics at that. “And, say that I handle it like a champ, ‘cuz of course I do,” he ventured. “What do I get?”

“Besides my attention and affection, you mean?” He stuck his glossa out at you, making you laugh. “Okay, okay.” You held up a hand in defense. “How about… a kiss, for every goal you reach?”

His optical ridge lifted, and he winked. “A good kiss?” he suggested.

“What does that even _ mean _, you dork?”

His smile turned a little devious at that. 

“Okay, a ‘good kiss’, whatever that means,” you agreed, laughing despite yourself at his expression. “But I get to set the goals each time, and I can make them as hard or as easy as I want. The harder it is, the ‘better’ the kiss. Deal?”

“Deal,” he agreed, with an eagerness that sent a surge of warmth through you. “What’s first?”

You considered. He was still sitting on the ledge of his berth, and while height-wise you could reach about anything you wanted, the position was precarious. Maybe not for him, but definitely for you. “Uhhh, before that, you should lie down or something. I don’t want to accidentally go flying off your berth if I hit a good spot.”

Bumblebee blinked at you as he processed that. Then, he nodded, adopting a more serious expression. “Right. Good point.”

You took a few steps back as he shifted himself around, stretching his legs out on the berth. After a moment of contemplation, he gave you a shrug before flopping back. The action made the whole berth shake, and you reached for the wall to hold yourself up.

“Okay, that works,” you said. “Now, how about…” You pointed at his servos, which he’d rested on his middle. “You put your hands behind your head for this?”

He made a face. “Man, why you gotta be evil? Aren’t we partners in crime now? You should be nice to me,” he playfully complained. However, he did as you asked, and soon you were standing over him as he tried not to fidget. “Now what?”

“Now, first stakes.” You considered. “How about thirty seconds--”

“_ Thirty seconds _?!”

You adopted an innocent smile. “Whaaat? Are you telling me you can’t handle it?”

He squinted at you. “That’s a long time to go without moving.”

“C’mon, Bumblebee, you’re tough.”

He sighed. “Fine. But you better be using a timer. And I better get a hell of a kiss out of it.” He paused, then, a hint of shyness entering his expression. “Uh, speaking of… can I get one more stakes-free kiss before you wreck me?”

“Of course you can.”

His expression softened. You took the two or three steps necessary to reach his head, and bent over to offer him a gentle kiss. His engine let out another rumble, this one not as loud or long as before.

You wondered if that was because he was happy, or… because of other things.

Pulling away, you smiled at him. As he grinned back, you pulled out your phone and set the timer on it. “Right. Ready?”

“No,” he deadpanned.

You giggled, settling yourself on his middle. You had to hold on as he propped himself up on his elbows to get a look at where you’d parked yourself, your legs straddling him to help keep your balance. Tucking your phone into a pocket, you said, “Well, too bad, ‘cuz I am.”

“You’re so mean, baby.”

That one word, playfully whined at you, made you feel all sorts of ways.

Rather than addressing it, however, you just hit ‘start’ and went for the grooves on his sides, under his cab.

He dropped back again with a surprised cackle. “Wa-ha-ha-_ ow _!”

“Did you hit your head?” you asked, jerking your head up and stilling your fingers.

“No, I’m fine--aack! Waitwait_ wait _!”

“You kidding? I’ve only got thirty seconds, I wanna make ‘em count!”

As your fingers drummed along the sensitive seams, you watched Bumblebee struggle with himself, his arms shaking with the effort not to move. He wiggled in place, but it wasn’t bad enough to throw you from where you were seated. You only wished that the angle was a bit better for seeing his face as he laughed at the ceiling.

All too soon, the timer went off, and you reluctantly stopped.

“Hey, you did it,” you said, sitting up and grinning at him. “How you doing?”

“_ Phew _,” came the over-dramatic response. Then, he slowly sat up to shoot you a smirk. “Easy. I can totally handle this,” he bragged. “I’m made of tough stuff, you know.”

You folded your arms over your chest, quirking a brow in amusement. “Oh, _ really _. If it’s that easy, I guess I shouldn’t reward you, huh? I mean, that might cheapen the kisses.”

“No! No, that’s not what I meant!” he said, his boastful expression fading into wide-eyed concern. He waved his arms to dismiss your suggestion. “I still totally earned that kiss. We can say that it’s a warm-up, y’know?”

You pretended to think about it. 

“C’mon, babe,” he whined, a playful note in his tone. “Please?”

You relented. “How can I say no to that? Besides, you _ did _do really great.”

“I’m a pretty great ‘bot.” He winked.

You shifted in your spot, reluctant to get up. Bumblebee, taking the hint, ducked in and down. It probably wasn’t the most comfortable position for him, but you were grateful for it as he pressed his lips to yours. His faceplate felt warmer when you reached up to hold either side of his helm. 

And that engine…

You let out a faint gasp against his lips as, this time, you felt more than heard that rumble from within him. With the way you were sitting, the vibrations went straight to your core. You were suddenly very aware of how warm it was.

Bumblebee pulled back, giving you a funny look. “You okay?” he asked, as the rumble died down.

You licked your lips, and smiled. “Sorry, you uh, just startled me a little is all.”

He squinted at you.

You smiled, and tried your best not to squirm.

“Well, okay, if you say so,” he said, shrugging. “What’s next, then?”

Grateful for the change in topic, you considered. “Well, since you said thirty seconds was easy, how about a full minute?”

He gaped at you. “A _ minute _?!”

You tried to suppress a smile. “Are you going to react like that every time I suggest a time? What if I just suggested like, five seconds?”

Bumblebee held up a servo to his head, striking a dramatic pose. “_ Five seconds _?!” he demanded in the same tone.

You started laughing.

Looking pleased, he dropped his servo. “Seriously, one minute, though? I better get a hell of a reward for that.”

“We agreed the reward is kisses,” you reminded him.

He dipped his head to look at you, canting his head a bit to one side. “Well, yeah, but I think after destroying me, you could offer something a little more than just one kiss.”

“Like what? Two kisses?”

“Or, we could be _ creative _.”

You felt a rush of heat in a very nice place at the way he purred that word. Squirming a little despite yourself, you echoed, “Creative?”

He offered a more devilish smirk. “You let me worry about that. I promise it’ll be fun, though. Whaddaya say?”

You swallowed. 

While you were happy to keep your… _ reactions… _to yourself, Bumblebee seemed pretty eager to do more than just steal kisses. It was a tempting offer, especially with the way he was looking at you right now. Unable to find the words, you nodded.

“Cool. Then I’m all yours, baby. Wreck me,” he said, and slowly settled back on his elbows to watch you, that expression still in place.

Giving yourself a shake, you pulled out your phone and set it to a minute. “I think I want to try another spot on you,” you said, starting to climb up on his cab. “Lay back all the way, will you?”

He did as asked, resting his servos behind his helm. You, meanwhile, slid off to one side of him. He watched you, his optics narrowing. “What are you after--” He paused, as you pointedly eyed one of his arms. “Oh no.”

“Yes,” you deadpanned back at him. “One minute. Keep still, you don’t wanna squish me.”

“This is cruel and unusual punishment.”

“You love it,” you shot back at him. Then, before he could retort, you started the timer, and worked your fingers along the cables under that arm.

Huh, you’d never heard him make _ that _kind of shriek before.

“Something tells me nobody tickles you here very often,” you said, raising your voice to be heard as Bumblebee writhed and cursed and shrieked some more. “Maybe I should, huh?”  
  
“ _ No _!”

“Aww, why not?” You made a show of pouting as you trailed your fingers along one cable that was twitching more than the others. His whole frame shuddered in response. “It certainly seems to tickle. Right? I mean, it definitely tickles, doesn’t it?”  
  
“ _ No _!” he yelped more vehemently. “No teasing!”

You fell silent. For about three seconds.

“What’s the matter, Bumblebee?’ you cooed, using both hands. He was quivering in place, his laughter intensifying. “Are you tellin’ me you can’t take this? Big, strong, handsome ‘bot like you? I’m just a little organic, right? It’s just a little tickling, isn’t it?”

He jerked his head from side to side in response, optics powering off. “You’re the wohohorst!”

You parted your lips to continue, but before you could get the first syllable out your timer went off.

Sighing, you pulled away, and saw Bumblebee slump in relief on the berth. While his chest wasn’t rising and falling like you’d see on a human, you could hear his cooling fans going like mad, and his engine going at a low, consistent rumble.

He lay there long enough for you to move in, leaning over him in slight concern. Had you pushed it too far?

“‘Bee?” you said, resting a hand on one side of his faceplate.

He blinked his optics back on, focusing them on you. His intake shuddering, he then reached for you without a word.

You were gently pulled onto his chassis as he sat up a bit, propping himself on one elbow. You let him arrange you as he wished, fitting against his much bigger body as if you were always meant to be there. 

You hadn’t realized how flush against him you were until he kissed you, and his engine revved.

This time, you couldn’t quite stop the way your body squirmed in answer. His chassis was warm, almost hot, and it was only now you were realizing you were sweating because it was tough to get a hold on him to shift yourself. Your legs were splayed open again, meaning those vibrations were hitting you in just the right way.

Bumblebee pulled away, and you opened your eyes to meet his gaze. He was squinting at you again, almost as though he were suspicious about something.

“Wh--” you cleared your throat. “What?”

He revved his engine. You let out a gasp.

“Somethin’ you wanna tell me, baby?” he asked, and his voice, laced with static, was almost as devilish as the look that was returning to his face. “We having a good time, or a _ good _time?”

“‘Bee, c’mon,” you said, and with effort pushed yourself up and away from the _ very _nice sensations that were clouding your thoughts. “You’re distracting me.”

He let out a snicker. “Is it working?”

Feeling your face get hot, you nodded.

“Good, ‘cuz, uh, you’re pretty distracting too, y’know, looking like that.”

You swallowed. Casting your mind about for some way to respond, you finally settled with, “Hey, if I can’t tease you, you can’t tease me.”

“You _ did _tease me,” he pointed out. “Mercilessly.”

He had you there. “I want to do the other side,” you said, changing the subject.

He vented, rolling his optics at you. “Fine, fine, but y’know what?” He reached out a digit, delicately tilting your head back to ensure you met his gaze. “When you’re done wrecking me, I’m going to wreck you. You good with that?”

That promise sent a full-body shiver down your spine. His gaze was intense, and while you were no longer pressed against him, you almost felt the rumble of his chassis against you anyway. Everything was so delightfully warm and you couldn’t stop looking at his lips all of a sudden.

Realizing he was waiting for an answer, you nodded. “Yeah,” you said, breathlessly.

He chuckled. “Then I’m going to say it one more time, babe.” He leaned in closer, and purred. “_ Wreck me _.” 

You did as you were told, resetting your timer and waiting for him to settle back in his last position. He still looked somewhat nervous as you approached his other side, but you could see a certain smug determination on his face as he watched you.

God, how did your hands work again?

Your legs felt wobbly, too, so you knelt this time. Without a word, you started the timer, and did what you could to make Bumblebee break.

His laughter was different this time. You’d heard him cackle and shriek and howl before, and he was doing plenty of that now, too. But there was a certain catch in his voice, a certain way he was shuddering at your touch, that sent more heat straight to your core.

When the timer went off, you stopped, looking over at his face as he collapsed. His whole frame was humming with energy, it seemed. His faceplate was flushed, and occasionally he shuddered as if you were still teasing him.

Then, his optics powered on, and he reached for you again.

He settled you into a similar position as before, your legs splayed so that you pressed up in just the right spot against him. Then, he revved his engine, and smirked as you let out a gasp.

“I thought so,” he said, sounding smug despite the static in his voice. “I’m learnin’ all kinds of things today.”

You squirmed in place. Bumblebee’s servo moved in answer, settling against your back. Pressing you in just so. Making you gasp as his vibrations picked up. “_ Bumblebee _!”

“Heh.” He tilted his head, resting his other servo on one side of your face. “I never thought I’d hear you say my name like that. It’s heady stuff. You like my trick? It’s my favorite way to make someone lose their mind.” His smirk grew. “Only fair, since you made me lose mine.”

The next engine rev made you buck against him, but with your sweaty hands and the unrelenting pressure holding you in place, you couldn’t find enough purchase. “_ God _,” you bit out, half-frustrated, half-delighted.

“You wanna kiss to help ride this out?” he asked, petting your face with his digits with such care. He leaned in, and you tilted your head to accept the kiss. However, at the last minute, he pulled back. As you pouted, he said, “Though I kinda wanna watch this. You got to watch me, after all, and man, I’ve been wanting to see this so bad.”

“This isn’t fair,” you halfheartedly whined. 

He laughed, and _ god _why were you only now realizing how sexy his laugh was? “Tough shit, baby. D’you know how long I’ve wanted to see you like this?”

You bucked again against the rumbling, warm metal under you. It wasn’t quite enough to drive you over the edge at this pressure, but it sure as hell was enough to keep _ your _ engine revved and going. You felt hot and sticky in all the nice ways, and the air felt like you might get struck by lightning at any second. “ _ Bumblebee _!” 

He offered you a cheeky grin. “Having fun, babe? I hope so. I know I am.”

“Please.” 

That made his grin get even wider. “Sorry?”

“Please.” You wriggled. You hadn’t pictured yourself being this worked up so quickly after confessing, but you couldn’t stand the idea of stopping this now. “I need… more than this.”

“How much more?”

You arched your back against his servo. He continued to hold you in place just right, leaving you pleasantly tormented. “I can’t… please?”

He vented out some air, then nodded. “Gently, yeah? Okay.” Some of his bravado faded, and in place of it he dropped his free servo from your face and almost shyly slid one of his digits between you and his chassis, giving you something to press up against. “Right here?”

You let out an embarrassing sound at that, and bucked into the digit. “_ Right there _.” The rumble wasn’t as strong from his servo, but having the additional pressure made all the difference.

“‘Kay. I told ya before, go nuts. I wanna see you lose it.”

“Then... “ You caught your breath, and looked back up into his optics. Seeing how eagerly he was watching you, you felt emboldened enough to ask, “Can you... Move your digit just a little?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I can do that.”

The combination of Bumblebee’s surprisingly gentle touch between your legs and your own intense rocking of your hips was more than enough. A few seconds later, you went over your own edge, and went limp against his chassis in relief and pleasure, gasping. He waited until you’d ridden out your own climax, then withdrew his servo from under you to help support you against himself.

When you’d recovered some, you almost shyly glanced up at him. He was watching you, that same grin on his face as a moment or two ago. When your eyes met his optics, he winked.

“Maybe I’ll let you wreck me more often, if I get to see _ that _afterward.”

You giggled, and shoved him. Not that he budged at all. “You massive dork.” You then scooted up to curl your arms around his neck. “Uh.. thank you, by the way. That was... I mean… I’m so glad we talked all this out. Not just because of uh, that, but you, um.” Why were you suddenly so tongue-tied? “You know what I mean,” you finished.

“You and me both.” He rubbed your back. “You feelin’ okay? I didn’t bruise you or anything did I?”

“Nah, you were just fine. That little trick of yours is… pretty nice.” 

“Right?” He looked pleased; you had the feeling if you weren’t sprawled on him, he’d puff his chest out with pride. “So, uh, you were okay with all that, right? I didn’t push you too far?”

“No, no, that was…” You laughed. “I feel like that let off some tension.”

“Yeah, I feel that.”

You perked up, furrowing your brow at him. “What about you?”

“What _ about _me?” He caught your expression, and shook his head. “Oh, that. Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m uh, pretty well set this time.”

“You sure?” You licked your lips. “I don’t want to leave you hanging.”

“You didn’t,” he said, rather quickly. “Trust me. It’s cool.”

You considered him long enough that his faceplate started to change color again.

“Quit lookin’ at me like that,” he huffed, without much heat in it. “I’m a young ‘bot, I don’t need that much to get worked up.”

“No, it’s not that. I guess I… just wish I’d realized.” Withdrawing your arms from his neck, you rested them on his chest. “I honestly know so little about how you guys work, and I want to make sure you’re happy.”

“I can’t even begin to tell you how psyched I am,” he reassured you. “I mean… I don’t usually go that far right after telling someone how I feel about ‘em.”

“Me either.” 

The two of you fell quiet. You felt him cool down, and his fans start to ease off as time passed. Your own heart rate settled down.

Eventually, you said, “You think your door’s still locked?”

“Huh?” There was a pause. Then, he laughed. “I forgot all about that,” he confessed.

You sighed, looking over at the door. You didn’t particularly want to go out there. You had a feeling that if you moved, it would be pretty obvious what you’d been up to with Bumblebee.

_ And the whole base likely heard it just fine, too. _

That thought made you groan and press your face against his cab.

“What’s up?” he asked, his voice softening.

“I need to go home and clean up,” you muttered against him. “But I really don’t want to go out there right now. There’s gonna be questions. And other things.”

You felt him moving; you could imagine him nodding. “Yeah. You’re probably right. Even if we ducked off to wash up here, it’d be pretty telling.”

Bumblebee fell silent in thought for a moment. Then, you heard him say, “Okay, I’m about to be brilliant.”

You lifted your head. “I’m listening.”

He grinned at you. “What if… we disappear in traffic?”

“I don’t follow.”

He slowly scooted over to the edge of the berth, you in his arms. Carefully, he eased off the berth and onto his stabilizers, then, transformed around you.

You let out a surprised yelp, finding yourself settled in the passenger seat of his alt mode. A seatbelt fastened itself around you, and you heard him chuckle.

“This is something me an’ Sari call ‘disappear in traffic’. I take you home, and we figure out a way for both of us to get cleaned up. Bonus: we don’t have to talk to anybody.” He paused. “So whaddaya say, babe: disappear in traffic?”

You smiled. “Disappear in traffic,” you confirmed.

The door was, thankfully, no longer locked when Bumblebee nudged it with a bumper. The moment it was up, he took off, pressing you back against the passenger seat. You whooped as the corridor flashed by. You briefly saw Bulkhead and Sari looking up at you from the sofa in the main room, but before either could say anything, you were out and on the road bound home.

“You’re right!” you shouted over the roar of his engine. “This is brilliant!”

“I know, right?!” he shouted back, making you laugh.

He rolled down a window enough to bring in fresh air, and you leaned into it, relishing the cool breeze on your face. You closed your eyes and let him zip you along down a road you both knew well.

You were about three blocks from home when a thought occurred to you.

“Bumblebee?”

“Yeah?”

“Where’s my bag?”


End file.
